Chicken Time-Share

As the weather starts to get colder, it's time for us to prepare the chickens' winter home for their return!

The Learning Farm chickens spend the summer roaming the farm in their Egg Mobile, a brightly colored pioneer-style covered wagon. It's lovely to "camp out" during warm weather, but the chickens need more protection from the frigid Chicago winter. Brrrrr!

Luckily the chickens also have a cozy winter home in the Learning Farm Hen House, a permanent structure that is attached to our Egg Wash Station. Our current flock of chickens spent their early days inside this warm structure as they matured from day-old chicks last November to full-grown chickens.

And now it's almost time to move back "home." Except . . . there are other chickens in their house! While the Learning Farm chickens traipsed around in the Egg Mobile, another Prairie Crossing farm business' chickens settled into the Hen House. A chicken time-share, if you will.

As with all moves, there is a lot of cleaning that needs to be done beforehand. With chickens, there is a LOT of cleaning! And then, even more cleaning, sanitizing, and airing out of the Hen House. All this cleaning is important for general safety reasons and for the continued health of the flock.

Healthy chickens = healthy eggs = healthy people!